Arlene is an actor/playwright who views her solo work as an extension of the social justice issues she has been committed to for the last 25 years.  Her 4 solo shows Til Deaf Do Us Part, Kicking the Habit, Or Forever Hold Your Peace and What Does the Sun Sound Like have been produced and performed in venues nationwide.  Her work has been honored with an LA Theatre Ovations nomination, an LA Weekly Award and a Garland Award.  As an actor she has appeared in The Music of the Spheres at the Goodman Theatre as well as Live Baits Fillet of Solo and Estrogen Fest.  Favorite roles in LA include Lovers and Other Strangers, Chapter Two, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest with Deaf West, and the critically acclaimed Solos in Harmony and In A Different Voice.  Arlene is also a writer/performer with the nationally touring, multicultural show A Slice of Rice, Frijoles & Greens which was honored with the White House Award for the Initiative on Race. She is a founding member of the literary ensemble In So Many Words which has performed at the Victory Gardens Biograph and she produces a spoken word salon called Speak Easy-Speak Hard.  Her television credits include: ER, CSI, The Practice, The Division & X Files. She teaches solo writing/performing in L.A., S.F. and Chicago.. She has been a contributing writer for Selling Lemonade for Free and The Week Behind and is a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists. Most recently she is honored to be a Playwright in residence at the 16^th Street Theatre where her newest play Aiming For Sainthood will be produced.